The Sun. — London, England, 1864-06-17 00:00:00

THE THIRD EDITION OF " THE SUN," Containing the Latest SPORTING INTELLIGENCE, an be had Every Evening of _ _ . „ G. R. GLENIE, NEWS AGENT, No. 4. Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park. HOLMAN HUNT'S PICTURES, le)ndon bridge on the Night of the Marriage of the Fri' ice and Princess of Wales, and 'The Afterglow in Egypt, together with Robert B. Martinean's picture, The Last Day in the Old Home, are now ON VIEW, at the new Gallery, 16, Hanover-street, Regent-street, from 9 in the morning till 10 at night. Admission during he day, from 9 till 7, ls. ; and in the evening, from 7 ti 1 10, 6d. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA, Covent-garden. There will, both in this week and in next week, be five opera nights, viz., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and saturday. Special Extra Night Mille. Adelina Patti,Mdlle. Fecci ; M. Faure, Signor Ciampi, Signor Ronconi, Herr Schmid, and Signor Tamberlik. THIS EVENING (FRIDAY\ June 17, will be performed Mozart's opera, DON GIOVANNI. With the follow ng pewerful cart :—Donna Anna, Mdlle. Fricci ; Zerlina, Mdlle. Adedha PAU; Elvira, Madame Rudersdorff ; Don Giovanni, M. Faure ; Leporello, ;3ignor Ciampi ; 3.lasetto, Signor Ronconi ; 11 Commendatore, Herr Schmid ; and Don Ottavio, Signor Tamberlik. The minuet will be danced by 3ldlle. Salvioni and M, De*iace3. Commence at half past Eight. Pit tickets, 7s. ; amphitheatre bta Is, 103. 6d., 75., and ss. ; smphitheatre.:2B. 6d. Boxes, stalls, and tickets may be had at the box-office under the portico of the theatre, which is open from ten to five, and at the principal musicsellers' and librarians'. THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET.— sole Lessee and Manager, Mr, Buckstone. THIS EVENING, THE BALANCE OF COMFORT. Mr. Howe and Miss L. Angel. After which, DAVID GARRICK. Messrs. Sothern, Chippendale, Buckstone, Rogers, Clark, I% eatheraby, ; Mesdames Snowden, Nelly Moore, Fitzwilliam. Followed by (for the sth time) LORD DUNDREARY MARRIED AND DONE FOR. To conclude with AN UNLUCKY MORTAL. Mr. Wm. Farren and Miss M. Harris. Commence at 7. ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. Under the Sole Management of Mr. Fechter. Last Eight Nights of Hamlet. and Last Week but One of the Season. Mr. FECHTER will perform HAMLEr THIS EVENING (FRIDAY). Claudius, Mr. Emery; Folonius, Mr. John Brougham ; Ghost, Mr. G. Jordan ; Laertes, Mr. C. Vanden hbff ; Horatio, Mr. J. G. Shore ; First Gravedigger, AL.. H. Widdicomb ; Osric, Mr. E. Charles ; Messrs. W. M'lntyre, F. Morton, Raymond, Moreland, Clifford, Edmonds, Wall bank, Collett ; Ophelia , Miss Kate Terry ; Act ress , M i ss M Renrade ; and Gertruie, Miss Elsworthy. The Scenery painted by Mr. W. Telbin. Notice.—The doors open at half-past 7, and Hamlet corn- Etences at 8. Box Office open daily from Eleven o'clock till Five. R OYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.-- Sole Lesee and Manager, Mr. Geo. Vining. . - THIS EVENING will be performed a new and original Drama, by R. Slous, Esq., entitled LIGHT AND SHADOW. /Ir. D. Murray, D. Fisher, J. W. Ray, J. Nelson, &c.; Miss taflord and .)ilss Caroline Carson. After which, THE CORSICAN BROTHERS. Louts and Fabien dei Franchi, Mr. Vining; Chateau Renaud, Mr. Walter Lacy. NEW THE ATRE-RO YAL, ADELPI - 11.- &Act Proprietor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster. THIS EVENING, THE DEAD HEART: Robert Landry (his original character), Mr. Benjamin Webster, ,uppo ted by Messrs. A. S tirling, J. L. Toole, I'. Stuart, t'aul Bedford, B llington ; Miss Woolgar (Mrs. Alfred Mellon), Miss Kelly, To conclude with THE AREA BELLE : Messrs. J. L. Toole, P. Bedford, homer, Miss Woolgar, and Mrs. IL Lewis. Commence at 7. R OYAL ST, JAMES'S THEATRE, under the 3lanag., , ement of Mr. B. WEBSTER. Crowded with rank and fashion.— The highly successful new Comedy, by Divn Boucicault ,Esq., every Evening. Re• engagement of those ce ebraced and popular artistes, Mr. an . Mrs. Charles Mathews Amongst the artists engaged will be found the popular fie.mes of Mr. Benjamin Webster, Mr. Charles Mathews. Mr. Frank Matthews, Mr. J. L. Toole. Mr. .1. Clarke, Mr. I'4ol Bedford, Mr. F. itobinson, Mr. Ashley ; Mrs. Chas. Mathews, Miss II rbert, Mrs. Frank Matthews, Miss 11. Simms, Miss A. Cottrell, Miss Fanny Josephs, Miss Patti Josephs, Miss Wentworth, and Mrs. Stirling. EVERY E VENING, at 7, A DAY AFTER THE WEDDING. Miss Herbert. At a quarter before 8, an entirely new and orizinal Comely, in 5 acts, by Dion Boucicaulr, entitled THE FOX CHACE. Characters by Mr. Charles Mathews, Mr. Frank Matthews, Mr. J. Clarke, Mr. F. Robinson, Mr. Ash ey, Mr. W. Chamoer laine ; Mrs. Chas. Mathews, Mrs. Frank Matthews, and Miss Henrietta:Simms. At 10, by particular desire, COOL AS A CUCUMBER. Mr. Charles Mathews. To conclude with 61EAKE HANDS Mr. J. Clarke; Miss Fanny Josephs. Commence at 7. ROYAL STRAND THEATRE. Manager, Mr. W. H. Swanborough. THIS EVENING, DEAF AS A POST. Mr. Thorne. Followed by THE MAID OF HONOUR. Miss Ada S wanborough. After which, MAZOURKA. Messrs. Honey, James, Fenton, Turner, ac. ; Misses Marie Wilton, Simpson, &c. To conclude with TIMOTHY TO THE RESCUE. Mr. T. Thorno. Commence at 7. THE ASCOT.—RACE GLASSES (the best), at CALLAGHAN'S, 23A, New Bond-street, W., corner of Cenduit-street. N.B.—tole agent to Voigtlander, Vienna. PARIS BONNETS for JUNE.—M€ssrs. JAY'S Manazer has h's day returned from Paris with an assortment of th, most elegant and fashionable Summer Bonnets, selected from the mlgasins of the first houses in that city. JAS s, The London General Mourning Warehouse, 217, 219 , and 0 51 lte,Yent-street. June 1, 1861. NOVEL STYLE in FRENCH BONNETS..— French fashion has produced Bonnets for this month of a light go samer texture, which accimmodate the present style of wearing awl displayiog the lady's h ir. They are of the most exquisite variety, and, though still adhering to the favourite colours of black. white, and neutral, are entirely remodelled in shape, size, and substance. Spe,ially imported from Paris for JAY'S, The London General mourning Warehouse, 247, 249, and 251, Regent-street. COALS. —The LILLESHALL COMPANY'S COALS. Direct from their own Collieries. Marquis'. 235. per ton. I Double .. 20s. per ton. Top 225. ~ Deep 2ls. „ Well screened and delivered within five miles of their De pots, Westbourne Park-road, W., and 17, South Wharf, Paddington, W., and Maiden-lane, N. Best Coke Terms cash. JOHN SCOTT, Sole Agent. The Weather—Sun Office, June 17, 1861. - - - THERMOMETER. .. 62 This day at T wo o'clock Barometer-29.77. WIND—S.W. ; moderate breeze, and cloudy. magi WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. rEis 570 :I.—Afternoon, h. m. foototovo•_Morning, 12h. 2601 . — Afternoon, 12h. 50m. "ft' * • 14?"2. 4 gitt TFIh SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 17, 1864. of the Union, the cold slays them no less certainly, when aided ty its two prime agents, want of food LONDON, FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 1864. The oddest answer ever addressed to an Opposi tion by a Prime Minister, at a diplomatic juncture of extraordinary emergency, is seemingly at this critical period regarded by Lord PALMERSTON as --among all answers that could by possibility be thought of—the most triumphant ! It is this — without a syllable of explanation as to the Ministe rial policy in this vital matter about Schleswig. Holstein, as between Denmark and Germany, with out one syllable of explanation, as to what has been the drift of the Ministerial policy in the past as to what is likely to be the drift of that policy in the future, with a carelessly scornful, and yet a distinctly defiant air, Lord PALMERSTON flings back by way of retort to the Opposition this wonderful poser —"Tell us, what would you have done under Bitni• lar circumstances !" As if that were the constitu tional responsibility devolving upon an Opposition ! Namely, at any time of great difficulty, when the Cabinet happ ens to have got itself into a dilemma, into what the Yankees would call a "fix"--to come opportunely to the aid of Ministers, with a suggestion as to what had better bo done ! ! This, moreover, being said—as though the unfolding of a policy by the Opposition were not only the right thing periods of supreme at these for the Opposition to do, anxiety, but as if snob were actually the solemn and bounden duty of an Oppositiou. Was there ever heard in the House of Commons anything in its w ay more utterly preposterous ? Hardly possible, we should think ! And the absurdity here is one fall ing not from the lips of a Sir BoYLE ROCEIE or of a Colonel SIETHORP, but from those of a veteran Parliamentanan, as ripe in experience, as sagacious usually, in the detection of an absurdity, as Lord PALMERSTON. No wander the Loader o! the Opposition in the House of Com mons disdains to offer sty further reply to eo mnsensical an ir.; itatiun whenever this invitation has been diodainftily tossed over to him by the Prime Minister, than—" It is not among our duties as an Opposition !" As it certainly is not. No—the day of reckoning has —very adroitly, very cleverly, very successfully—been put off now during all this weary session, week after week, month after month, until, through February, and March, and April, and May, we have got far on into the middle of June! With the period of grouseeshooting almost within view, as one may say, at the end of a perspective of a very few weeks longer ! These admirably well-managed postponements of discussion (both in the Lords end in the Com mons, but more particularly, of course, in the Corn mons) of the ministerial policy as regards the Dane- German question—these admirably well-managed postponements of all discussion upon the question, being effected, it will be remembered, upon a singular variety of pleas. First of all there was the delay caused by the absence of any reference what. ever to this vitally and supremely important Ques tion in the Royal Speech inaugurating this present session. of Parliament. In that speech not a hint of a promise was thrown out as to the Danish despatches being laid in due form upon the table of Parlia• ment ! Mr. DISRAELI'S lynx eye at once detected this sinister omission his uncompromising index-finger at once pointed it out ! And what was the Prime Minister's reply thereupon ! Well do we remember the almost, we had said, imperti nence of the very tone with which Lord PALMER STON scornfully replied to Mr. DISRAELI, " Why, of course you'll have the papers laid before you !" As though he had said, " Cela va sans dire—You are putting the most ridiculous inquiries to the Treasury Bench, as though you, Leader of the Opposition though you are, Leader of the House though you have been in your time (and that twice), had no more experience of the usages of the House or of the habits of Government than a schoolboy ! Of course, you'll have them. Don't make yourself in future 'quite so ridiculous as to ask any more of these silly kind of questions ! Of course you'll have them--Yes, and in good time also—and plenty of them, too !" Nay, as if warmed into facetiousness by the exhilaration caused by the utterance of his flippant sarcasms in the way of retort, Lord PALMERSTON on that first night of the session, while, thus replying to his antagonist, to his principal rival for the lead of the House of Commons, indulged himself in one of his customary pleasantries. Saying, not only—" Of course, you'll have them (these Danish papers you are worrying about), and plenty of them—but," in a sort of eerio comic aside to the House, the effect of which drowned the closing words of the sentence in general laughter, "There are so many of these papers in fact to wade through that, heaven help any man who"—here it was that there oame the laughter, drowning whatever words brought the noble lord's sentence to a grammatical conclusion. 'Yet, while such was the sort of reply first given by Lord PALMERSTON to Mr. DISRAELI'S inquiries, his very natural inquiries surely in regard to the Danish Correspondence—in answer to further quese tions as to how it came that no mention at all of the correspondence was made in the Royal Speech— what was Lord PALMERSTON'S answer by way of explaining that silence ? Why, it was actually this—" We didn't want to make it (the speech) too long !" The Speech, it will be remembered, referred to the difficulty in the matter of the Japanese disturbances and the consequent dip lomatic correspondence, but, for fear of being too long, it made no mention of the docu• mentary consequences of the war in the north of Europe—to wit, the Dane •Gertnaa Cor respondence ! 'Wonderful reticence, certainly, under the circumstances I However, the papers, not promised in the Speech, when asked for (so unne cessarily!) by the Opposition, were to be given in due time as a matter of course. When ? asked the Opposition. " DJn't keep worrying us in this way !" was virtually the reply of Ministers—" In all reasonable time, you may be quite certain of that." Well, we remember the reasonable time it did take! The mere commencement of the piecemeal publication of the despatches, was only extorted after an awfully long pause—and How, even then ? By a series of the most pertina cious badgerings on the part of the Opposition ! Even when commenced at last, the correspondence was doled out at as long and at as uncertain inter vals as possible ! And, at the best, it stopped short abruptly. It bore here and there the appear ance of having been, as they say, very carefully cooked or doctored. Then there was the excuse about the Conference. In regard to that, the Opposition was recommended to hold its peace and to delay dis cussion, in the national interests, because a Con ference was probable. Next, the Conference would be held, and—" At least," it was said to the Opposition, " you will wait until it has as sembled," Then, when it had assembled— "At any rate, you won't spoil every chance of a pacific settlement of differences, by debat ing the Dano-German Question in the House while the Conference is sitting." Afterwards came the adjournments of the sittings of the Pleni- potentiaries—then the armistice of a month—then the armistice of a supplementary fortnight ! And so the chief part of the session has eaten itself away " dumb expectancy !" Lord PALMERSTON'S smartest retort upon the Opposition being—" Tell us Your policy !" If the House of Commons con- tinues to endure this state of things much longer, it is certainly far more meek and far more easily contented than we should have imagined. The r eport of the select committee appointed to inquire into the administration of the Poor Law Relief system, and its general operation, has just b e en iesited. It is , as might have been anticipated, - vo luminous in extent, sinc e it i nc l u d es the proceed ings of the committee at their several meetings. Th e members appear t o h ave devoted themselves to their onerous task with 13881 Mous attention, and the result of their prolonged and careful inquiry is now before the public, and will tend, w e may hope, to some amelioration of existing evils. The committee was originally instituted with the v i ew of ascer taining how far the ordinary Poor Law was able to bear the pressure of any exceptional distress. It was appointed in conseq uence of the distres s preva lent in 1860-61, and part of the report refers to facts connected with that short period. By a e ur i, ous and melancholy coincidence the report is issued just after another period of extreme distress, and the circumstance is perhaps fortunate, since the public attention is more likely to be directed to the im portant subjects discussed in it, while the revela tions of our bitter winter are still fresh in the popu lar recollection. Englishmen have been shoc i eed and startled to find that in spite of all their costly appliances for the relief of the destitute, a season like the winter we have had renders deaths from want and cold appalingly frequent. It has been s hown, moreover, on careful inquiry, that the evil is of beg standing, and that when a sudden "cold wave of th e iu one atmosphere" mows down its hundreds night, the victims are gathered from the aged, the feeble, the sick, and the very poor. These last form a large proportion of those doomed by the Frost King, and if they escape the publicity conse quent upon being found dead on a doorstep, or being repulsed with unusual severity from the doors and lack of clothing and shelter. The public have grown somewhat impatient of hearing the same story over and over again —want of work or ill ness, and consequent extreme distress, a dislike to enter the Union, and on application for out-door relief, sometimes granted, sometimes refused, and so the paupers drag on a few months above the level of starvation till the frost comes, and they are carried to the home which no one begrudges them. The difficulty of the question always is the natural disinclination to assist idle ness or imposture, and to encourage that thriftless vagrancy which likes to live at other people's ex pense rather than its own. But this praiseworthy caution is stretched too far, and, like the bed of PROCRUSTES, the rules and regulations of guardians and relieving officers too often know no possible ex tension or compression. They have no adaptability to circumstances. According to the statistics pub lished in this Report, the average pauperism of the metropolis is 96,752, but during three successive weeks of the frost of 1862 the number rose so largely that in the fifth week of the frost it was 135,389. This is surely an exceptional case —not one for the application of rigid roles and uncom promising systems. The applicants at such a sea son should surely have the benefit of the doubt, and temporary relief might be administered pending the necessary investigation into their circumstances. It would be more satisfactory to find that a man or woman in no great need had received a loaf or a night's shelter than to find that the houseless and the starving had been sent away uncared for, espe cially when illness is added to their troubles. We are glad to find that the committee have turned much of their attention to the question of casual relief, and they give their opinion that the central authority should be empowered to direct boards of guardians to provide suitable and sufficient wards for the reception and relief of the wandering poor; and they also recommend that such arrangements should be uniform throughout the country. This recommendation, if properly carried out, will be highly efficacious in checking and suppressing vagrancy ; and the suggestion of employing police constables as assistant relieving officers for vagrants is a very good one, inasmuch that they will pro bably be far more correct in their discrimination between the really suffering and the worthless idler. It is not this class, however, that appeals so forcibly to the public sympathies as the settled poor, who from loss of work or other causes sink into extreme distress; and it is these who are the greatest sufferers from the inequalities of the poor rate. It is cagy for the reader who hears casually of a death from starva tion or neglect to upbraid the officials of the eastern parishes, and in some cases the reproach is, no doubt, well merited. But it is manifestly a matter of extreme difficulty, if not impossibility, for parishes like Bethnal-green anti parts of Lambeth and Poplar, to support their own paupers, and there will always be great unwillingness on the part of the officials of such parishes to press heavily on the rates. The question remains why an arbitrary division of streets and houses should render it more obligatory on a struggling tradesman at the East end of London to pay for the relief of a poor man whom he has never sewn than it is in the wealthy western householder. The duties of Christianity and citizenship appeal alike to both. The claims of mercy and humanity are certainly not measured by parishes and precincts. But not only is the poor man compelled to contribute equally with the rich, which would be sufficiently un fair, but he is forced to pay five or six times as much in discharge of his share of a common duty. The difference of the poor rate in the two St. George's, east and west, gives a most forcible exem plification of the absurd inequalities of the'existing system; but unhappily the system produces somea thing more than abaurdity—it results in needless suffering and those deaths from starvation of which we are all so heartily ashamed. The committee have had much evidence laid before them, showing the unequal pressure of the poor rate in different parts of the metropolis, and have inspected various plans for its equalisation. The result is that, although they do not expressly recommend any particular scheme, they direct the attention of the House to the general question, and we hope that before long a full and careful consideration will be given to this very important matter. When we consider the large number at which the Report estimates our average pauperism in the metropolis alone, we shall at once see the necessity for some improvement in the manner of dealing with it. The Committee recommend in plain terms, " That any measure for extending the area of rating should, in the opinion of the Committee, embrace provisions for making the whole cost for the poor in each union chargeable to the common fund of the union." Such a recom mendation will not, we hope, be without its effect; and we trust that even in the present session some attention may be given to it. It will be neces sary to take some steps to provide aga . inst the possibility of another severe frost, but it is difficult for the central authority to secure united action in all the parishes under its care —and the consequence is that the charge of the casual poor presses nearly as unequally on the diffe rent parishes as the poor rate itself, since the houseless poor naturally walk on to the parish where they know there is some accommodation for them, and in which they are likely to meet with a tolerable reception. Another very important matter mentioned in the report is the classification of inmates in workhouses. The value of this classi- fication it is difficult to over-ostim ate, and we are not surprised that tho Committee consider it de- sirable that power should be given to the Central Board to require guardians to make adequate arrangements for such classification where there is not at present sufficient accommodation. The isu- portanee of separating the young and impression. able from the incorrigible vagrant is very great, and it is desirable that the aged and infirm should have many indulgences which cannot be included in the arrangements for the able-bodied and healthy. There is no fear, as matters at present stand, of the respectable English poor being too fond of the workhouse ; the great objects to attain are to secure prompt and efficient relief for those who apply for it, to prevent the rates from pressing unfairly on the poor householder,' and to maintain a sufficient BYstem of classification within the doors. It is also desirable that the officials should not be hedged round with such divinity that the mere approach to them is formidable, and that those who have seen better days' should not deliberaiely prefer death from gradual starvation to entering the Union. Captain SrAIMEB has done himself great credit by his spirited vindication of the course he has pursued, and succ essfully proved hi s case i n a busi ness and straightforward style. It is time, indeed, that something was said or written in contradiction of the many reports that have been so eagerly cir culated on ail sides. The only correct way in which to look at a question of this sort, is to study both sides and to take into consideration the pros and cons of the affair. Instead of following this saga,. cions plan, it has been the invariable custom of all on the Federal side to take a partial view of the matter, and judge all the doings of the Confederates by the moat strict and arbitrary rules which regulette ordinary warfare, without taking into account the very complex and awkward position in which they are placed, In the first place, they are fighting against great disadvantages, and have a most un scrupulous adversary to deal with. Besides these drawbacks, Great Britain, under the guidance of most mistaken Ministers, has completely failed in rendering that justice which wee, above all things, to have been expected from a nation of her pre eminence. The mischief has been increased by other States following in her wake, and thus the Confederates have been hunted from here and driven from there until there certainly remains everything to exonerate them from taking the ordinary rules as their guide and following precedent as their monitor. Capt. SEMMES has been at great pains to describe the "situation" in which he is placed, and no one in fairness can assert that he has exaggerated his state ment, or unduly magnified the difficulties by which he is surrounded. He began by taking it for granted that the ordinary rules would be observed, and that therefore his prizes would he safe in a neutral port. Unfortunately Spain, which was his first venture, had followed the example of England, and his prizes were handed over to the enemy, " illegally," as he very trul y terms it, instead of being warned to depart, it is then very forcibly put that there could have been no "possible incon venience" arising from the permission to prizes to remain in neutral ports until they had been adjudie cated. The summary of events here given is very interesting, and proves very clearly how great has been the injustice displayed by our Government. Captain SEMMES describes the state of affairs when A the war broke out, and demonstrates the difficulties which have surrounded the course of the Confede rates. The orders that refused to privateers the right of asylum in British ports were an efftctual stoppage to their procedure, and this was effected by Earl RUSSELL malice prepense. They could not be made available in Confederate ports, because of the blockade, and hence their virtual extinction so soon as intelligence of the Orders in Council ar rived. "Did he or did he not know," asks the writer of this communication:" that he was dealing a staggering blow to the Confederate States at the as playing directly into th e h an d s of a m th e e t i F m e e d t e h r a a t he w Federals." The effect of this movem en t was such that the littl e S umter afterwards, assisted by s two other small vessels, was left the task of de stroying a commerce here emphatically described as " second only to that of Great Britain, and which covered every sea." It was absurd for our Cabinet to keep up that perpetual jargon about equality and the preservation of a "strict neutra lity." From first to last favouritism has been the order of the day. It has been the Alpha and Omega of the RUSSELL code of tactics, the guiding influence of the Cabinet, the ruling spirit of all the , steps taken at home and abroad. Who can wonder that the victims to such unjust conduct should wax wrathful, and decline to accede to the demand for acknowledging all fairness and conduct through out. Oa the contrary, they have been taught by grievous experience that the days are past when England was either a faithful ally or a neutral Power that could be depended on. All that takes place is the result of deep consideration as to how this or that enactment, such or such regulation, will affect the interests and mar the prospects of one side of the belligerents. All laws have been strained to the uttermost, and again very ingeniously waived to suit the requirements of friends, and through it all the voices of the statesmen who preside at the helm of affairs are heard declaring that strict and impartial neutrality is being preserved, and that the cone ells of England only seek to do justice without let or hindrance. Such subterfuges are quite unworthy of a great nation, and should be disclaimed and disavowed by all who take part in her affairs. The very pretty part which our ,Ministers ure playing will neither effect their purpose now, nor carry out As Capt a i n SEMMES * their warn i s ntentions the e h ecroenacfltuesrion of hi s argume nt, th ey are wrong in supposing that the Yankees are con- ciliated by their propitiatory cfferings to them. " I warn her that it is all timidity, and that she will reap the reward of her timidity in the usual way —timidity on the part of nations always inviting further insult and outrage." Nothing can be truer than this, and everyday's experience serves to con firm the validity of the observation. By rendering it impossible for the Confeeerates to adjudicate their prizes, the greatest injury has been in flicted in many quarters, and there exists no single reason in favour of such a course. Cap tain SEMMES declared that when their diplomatic disguise is taken from these orders that emanated from a British Council, there remains proof positive that they are most " unjust, oppressive, and un neutral." It may well be asked to what purpose we are to incur this odium, and draw down upon ourselves this reproach. Who is to make up to us for the loss of respect, the want of confidence, the tarnished name that will be our portion when the strife of the New World is over and the people and nations sit calmly down to take a retrospective glance at the fitful fever of the war, and com ment on the actions of the various parties who have been directly or indirectly engaged in the con troversy. It is quite idle to shut our eyes to the fact that the present political crisis of ou: land is a very momentous one. We are not at war, but we are mixed up in wars, and in neither do we figure at all respectable. There is nothing but animadversion passed on the decrees of our judg ment, and it is a melancholy fact, a humiliating reflection that our country, once so dreaded in war, and so sought as an ally, should now be discredit ably engaged in secret contrivances for the further. ance of views which no statesman dare put openly forward before his countrymen. change be wrought in It is time that a thorough our foreign policy, or we shall lose the small remaining portion of prestige that can belong to us after the manner in which strangers and foreigners discourse on our doings. STAR CLUB OF LONDON._—The members of this club, with a large party of their guests, assembled last Thursday, at the Cyrstal Palace, for the first of their simmer entertainments for the present season, it being the 35th year of their holding similar meetings. The next fete given by the club will bo at Richmond on the 20th July. THE CIRCASSIAN EXODUS. --The committee an■ nonuce that they yesterday transmitted £l,OOO to Dr Millingen, as an instalment for the relief of the exiles from Circassia. The committee cannot we better words, in renewing their appeal to the public, than those of Sir Henry Bulwer's despatch of May 3 :—" Still, it would hardly be fitting for Turkey to seem to beg for this sum, however great the necessity for it, and however noble and useful the purpose on which it is to be employed. There should be something like a movement to aid her. Surely policy, humanity, public admiration for unexampled valour, public pity for almost unexampled distress, would come in to assist a cause to which no heart that has ever felt for deeds of patriotic heroism could be insensible ?" REFORM MEETING IN PETERBOROUGH.—On Wednesday evening a crowded meeting was held in the Corn Exchange, Peterborough, on the question of par liamentary reform. The meeting was addressed by Mr Whalley, M•P., and other speakers. Resolutions were passed in favour of the L 6 franchise, and it was resolved to organise a reform association in thri district. Cheers were given at the close of the proceedings for Messrs. Gladstone and Baines. Mr Rankey, one of the members for the city, sent a letter apologising for his absence from the meeting, LATEST INTELLIGENCE. The Last of the ,Shakespeares, [REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.] DENMARK, Sir,—l have much pleasure in complying with the request so courteously put forward by Mr. liwell in your columns yesterday. Before, however, publishing " the preliminary evidence which is supposed to link Shakespeare's brother with an ancestor of the present George Shakespeare, of Wolverhampton," let me hasten to avow and correct an error into which I was led from the fact of not having the memoranda at hand to refer to when my letter to you was written. The brother of the poet mentioned should have been Humphrey, not Gilbert. Of this Humphrey the following is the pedigree, written in the hand writing of George Shakespeare himself : " Tne Pedigree of George Shakespeare, of No. 6, Great Berry-street, Wolverhampton—John Shake speare, father of the poet, died in 1601, Stratford on-Avon; Humphrey, son of John Shakespeare, bap. tised May 24, 1590, Stratford; Humphrey, son of Humphrey Shakespeare, baptised Feb. 2,1639, Lap worth; John, son of Humphrey Shakespeare,baptised April 9, 1678, Lapveorth ; John, son of John Shake epeare, a carpenter, born 1697, Charlecote ; Edward, son of John Shakespeare, died 1770, at Charlecote ; Edward, son of Edwd. Shakespeare, baptised March 15, 1761, Charlecote ; John, son of Edward Shake speare, born 1782, died 1855, Henley-in-Arden ; George,son of John Shakespeare, born Oct. 10, 1812, Henley-in-Arden, now alive." This pedigree can, I believe, be authenticated in every particular, and if your distinguished corres pondent be desirous of testing its accuracy, he can do so without the labour of devoting his valuable time to a research which only his love for the great master could render endurable. Supposing the pedigree to pass unchallenged, it may possibly be urged that after all Humphrey was not the son of our poet's father, but of another John Shakespeare, who undoubtedly resided in Stratford in 1584. This assumr.tion, so directly opposed to the state ments of Rowe, the poet, and Betterton, the actor, the earliest investigators of this vexed question, has been so admirably treated in an article in yes terday's Birmingham Daily Post that I venture to enclose it in the hope that you will find room for COPENHAGEN, JUNE 16, 10 52 P.N, Baron von Seheel-Plessen, the Danish Ambas sador at the Court of St. Petersburg, has arrived here. It is thought probable that he is the bearer of the Russian proposals for the settlement of the Schleswig Hoktein question. FLENSBURG, JUNE 17. Seven of the most respectable inhabitants of the Island of Syit (on the western coast of Schleswig), some of whom were members of the deputation who recently went to Berlin, have been conveyed to Copenhagen by Captain Hemmer, of the Danish navy. TURKEY. CONSTANTINOPLE, JUNE 16, It is asserted that the arrangements suggested by Sir Henry Bulwer have been agreed to between the Porte and Prince Couz3. These relate to a new constitution, with a senate and other important changes. The Conference regards the late pro ceedings in the Principalities as null. Prince Couz% has been greatly feted here. SPAIN. MADRID JUNE 16 (Evening). The Epoca of to-day, speaking of the Peruvian difficulties, says:—" Our troubles in Peru are owing to our policy in Mexico. It is necessary to be firm ; let- us respect the independence of Peru, and we shall ourselves be respected." FRANCE • PARIS, JUNE 17. The Moniteur of to.day says :—" Letters from Mexico announces a series of encounters, which re sulted in favour of the French. A brilliant advan tage has been obtained by Colonel Dupin at San Antonia. " The Mexican loss amoy.nted to 200, that of the French to 12. "The Emperor Maximilian, on his arrival, will find the pacificitions of the country almost com pleted. Juarez is wandering about the country, but is unable to form any town into a centre of resistance." BOURSE, Jane 16.—The market still continues heavy and inanimate. Threes, for the Account, which are quoted ex 3 months' dividend of 75c., are now at 66f. sc. Mobilier have receded to 1,067 f. 50c. Little or nothing doing in Railway Shares. The market again rallied towards the close, and left off as follows : 4} periCents 93 25 Do. end month — 3 per Cents Do. end month 66 15 Credit Mobilier.... 1075 Do. end month 1077 50 Bank Shares 3395 Credit Foneier 1240 Roman Italian Loan 69 65 Do. end month 69 85 Ditto Threes .. New Mexican .... Russian Austrian .. B2 Spanish Threes 5O 75 Home Debt Deferred . 45 75 its insertion : " Wolverhampton, June 11.—I have called upon George Shakespeare,of Henley-in-Arden ; ' of whom Mr John Coleman, the tragedian, has written so kindly to the Times, and he has given me all the information he possesses upon which to base his claim to be the only lineal descendant of William Shake speare. He traces back his lineage, not the poet's brother Gilbert, but to Humphrey Shakespeare, who was baptised at Stratford, May 24, 1590. This Humphrey, it will be remembered, is the second son of the three children who are supposed to be included by Rowe in the large family of John Shakespeare, the father of the poet, de scribed as ' ten children in all,' and it has never yet been conclusively proved tt.,at Ursula, and Hum phrey, and Philip were not the children of the poet's father. Malone,' Knight says, ' has estab lished very satisfactorily the origin of this error into which Rowe has fallen.' The explanation is this : After the baptism of the poet's sister Joan (the second of that name, she who was married to William Hart), on April 15, 1596, we find John Shakespeare entered in the register as Magister or Master. He might afterwards lose this designation of respectability, but is scarcely likely. Bearing this in mini, the fact that Ursula, and Humphrey, and Philip are entered as the children of plain John Shakespeare;after Anne, and Richard, and Edmund had been entered as the children of Master John Shakespeare, is an important one. It seems to show that Ursula, and Humphrey, and Philip are the children of John Shakepeare, a shoemaker, who, according to the Stratford register, married Mar gery Roberts, Nov. 25, 1584; but Margery was buried, the same register shows, on Oct. 29, 1537 and sho could not therefore be the mother of Ursula, who was baptized March 11, 1588. Bowe's oppo nents got over this difficulty by assuming that the shoemaker marries again. The Stratford register, however, contains no record of this assumed second marriage. If there had been a second, why should it not be recorded as well as the first ? But there is a greater difficulty. How could the shoe maker have had a child born in wedlock not five months after the death of his first wife ? If Ursula was not the daughter of John Shakespeare, the shoe maker, then she was the daughter of John Shake speare who, in 1571, became chief alderman of Strat ford, and entitled to and received the designation of Magister. And if Ursula was the alderman's daughter, why should not Humphrey, and after wards Philip, be the alderman's sons, and the de scendants of one or other of these as much the lineal descendants of the poet as if they were the descen dants of Gilbert ? There is only one reason which, as it seems to us, Rowe's opponents can urge (for we will notice the Mr.' theory directly), and how far that reason can be allowed to prevail in their favour we must leave with others. The reason is involved in the fact that between the date of the baptism of the alderman's first child, Joan, on September 15, 1558, and the baptism of Philip, on September 21, 1591, a period of 33 years is embraced. John Shakespeare, however, the alderman, and the father of the poet, was not buried till September 8, 1601, and his wife survived him till 1608. Whet her age was at the birth of any of her children there is, so far as we know, no means of ascertaining, but 33 years is a long period to be embraced in the birth of children ty one mother. But it will not avail Rowe's opponents much to say that, inas much as Edmund, who they say was the last child the alderman, was baptised May 3, 1580, nearly eight years elapsed between his birth and the birth of Ursula : for it is a fact that between the birth of Edmund, the eighth, and Richard, the seventh child, more than seven years elapses, Richard hav ing been baptized March 11, 1573, and Edmund, as we have seen, on May 3, 1580. And now for the Mr.' theory. What really is there in it ? The first five of John Shakespeare's children were baptized as the offsprings of plain John Shakespeare, the next three (Anne, Richard, and Edmund) as the children of Mr. John Shakespeare. Anne was born September 2, 1571 ; in 1671 John Shakespeare was made chief alderman, and his child became in virtue thereof the daughter of Mr. John Shakespeare. In 1586 John Shake speare was deprived of his alderman's gown, and was no longer Mr. John Shakespeare. All chil dren, therefore, born to him after that date became, by the same process of reasoning, the offspring of plain John Shakespeare again; and Ursula, and Humphrey, and Philip were all born after that date —a date prior to which he was found selling and mortgaging his property, until, in 1579, he was unable to pay a levy of three shillings, and at which very date (1586) ho was returned by the constable as having 'nothing to distrain upon.' We think we have now adduced sufficient reasons why Shakesperean scholars should re-examine the data upon which they limit the family of John, the father of William Shakespeare, to eight children. At the same time I have re ferred to the only difficulty that presents itself— e not perhaps an insuperable difficulty—to Ursula, Humphrey, and Philip being regarded as sister and g brothers thu s clearedof e William the way for Shakespeare, George the poet. Having Shakes. peace, of Henley-in-Arden, and now of Wolver hampton, I will, in a communication which I hope may appear in these columns on Tuesday, show in what way he has traced his pedigree to Humphrey Shakespeare, sketch his history, and narrate what h e has done and by whom ho has been assisted to bring his claims to be regarded as the lineal de scendant of the Bard of Avon' before the notice of those by whom be had hoped they would be recognised, merely adding here that whatever may have been the photographic representation of his features that has been sent to London, I quite concur with Mr. Coleman that ' Heaven has written his pedigree in plainest characters upon his brow.' 1 am, Sir, yours most faithfully, RAIN COLEMAN. Marshall's-house, Prescot, Juue 14. - . . P -gime d 7 _T. PAUL'S ScuooL.—The Old auline dinner is to be held at the Albion Tavern, the Lard Chief Baron in the chair, on. Friday, the let of July, not the 2d, as stated yesterday. ÷ The following letter has been addrau:d to the editor of the Time', : ''* • /*.. 1 1 111111 -- " - ' 7 "" virobr HER MAJESTY, WINDSOR CASTLE, June 16. His Royal Highness Prince Philip of Wurtem berg arrived at the Castle yesterday, and dined with her Majesty. The Duchess of Wellington also arrived, and had the honour of joining the Royal dinner party. The Queen, accoo3nanied by her Royal Highness Princess Louis of Hoses, walked and drov e this • morning. His RoyAl Highness Prince Alfred, attended by Lieutenant Haig, went to London. The Caancellor of the Exchequer bad an audience of the Queen. RAIL WAYS. Orleans Northern Cash. Account. 870 .. 875 995 .. 990 870 .. 867 50 Lyons and Mediterranean New ditto Southern Western Eastern Sardinian 362 50 .. 365 Austrian Lombard North of Spain Saragossa 570 .. 673 75 Ditto to Barcelona The War in New Zealand, Some time ago an address was presented to the Governor of New Zealand, which was signed by several peers and members of Parliament, and other influential persons, praying his excellency to termi nate the war by negotiation if an opening should present itself, and furtier proteslicg against the threatened confiscation of native lands. The gover nor has addressed the following reply to the secre tary of the Aborigines Protection Society : Government-house, Auckland, April 7. Sir,—l have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th of January, transmitting me an ad dress which had been very numerously and influentially signed, in which a hope was expressed that I would avail myself of the most favourable opportunity which presented itself of endeavouring to terminate by negotia tion the war unhappily existing in New Zealand, and especially that I would listen to any overtures of peace which any of the natives who had taken up arms may make. Your letter and the address which it encloses shall be forwarded to my responsible advisers for their con sideration, but in the meantime I can have no hesitation in saying that the wishes and instructions of his Grace the Duke of Newcastle impose on me as a duty that which is entirely in consonance with my own feelings and with yours, viz, that I should instantly listen to any reasonable level• tures that the natives in:arms may make, and that I should avail myself of any opportunity that offers of obtaining permanent peace for the colony. lam quite confident that general public opinion in this country will support me in taking this course, and would expect me to do so. With regard to the confiscation cf portions of the lands of natives now in arms, this point has to be considered, that mercy requires that future contests between the two races should, in as far as practicable, be prevented, and that there are many tribes in New Zealand who have taken no part in the present lamentable conflict, yet who might hereafter be led into similar acts ; whilst nothing woud more certainly lead to the extermination of the native race than a series of contests such as that which is now being carried on. The object of the local. government therefore has been to secure to that numerous part of the native population who have taken no active part in the present war the whole of their landed possessions, and also by laws passed expressly for this object to give to the lands held by such natives a value greater than they have previously had for their owners, by in all respects giving them equal rights in their landed possessions with those enjoyed by their European fellow subjects, the intention in this respect being to show that the rights of peaceable citizens, of whatever race, are care• fully respected, and to give the natives so valuable a stake in the country that they are not likely hereafter to hazard it lightly. On the other hand it was thought necessary by an example to show that those who rose in arms against their fellow-subjects of another race suffered such a punishment for doing so as might deter others from embarking in a similar ca - eer. It is therefore proposed to deprive such persons of their landed properties, and to provide for the future safety of the colony by occupying such lands with a European population. But even in the case of these persons it is intended that sufficient lands shall be reserved for themselves and their descend ants, to he held on the same tenure as lands are hence furth to be secured to the rest of the native population. That these measures will be carried out in a spirit of liberal generosity and of mercy I earnestly hope, and will do my best to ensure, and in my efforts for this end I believe that I shall be supported by a large majority in this colony. You will much oblige me by returning this answer to those noblemen and gentlemen who have signed the address which you forwarded to me.--I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient humble servant, (Signed) G. GRET. F. W. Chesson, Esq,, Secretary to the-Aborigines Protection Society. _ ICE IN THE ATLANTIC.—By the arrival of the Allan steamer Peruvian wo hear of the lose of two vessels belonging to this port—the Philanthropist and Highlander. The former was on a voyage from Liverpool to Quebec, and was lost in the ice on the banks of Newfound land on the 11th of May. The crew were picked off the wreck by the barque Wolfville, and taken to Quebec. She was a ship of 805 tons, and was built in St. John's, Now Brunswick, in 1852. Her present owners we have been unable to ascertain, es she very recently changed hands. The second vessel, the Highlander,was bound from Quebec to Fleetwood, and was, says the telegram, " lost near St. George's Bay," but it is supposed through contact with ice. She was a perfectly new ship, having only been built this season at Quebec, and was, when lost, on her voyage coming over to England, we believe, for sale. Both vessels had valuable cargoes, and were fully covered by insurances, partially, if not wholly effdcted in London.—Liverpesi Courier. CRURCR CLOCKS.--'A more splendid and exquisitely finished pie of mechanism we have never seen.”--Standa rd. Clocks by the first artists of the day for the drawing, din ng, and bed room, library, hall, staircase, bracket, carriage, rail way, warehouse, counting-house, musical, and a,tronomical. Church and turret clocks spe,ially estimated for. Benson's illustrated pamphlet, free by post for two stamps• with de scriptions and pric s, enables those who live in any part of the world to see t a «lock or watch ; also a short pamphlet n cathedral and public clocks, free for one stamp. Prize medal and honour,,b:e mention in classes 13 ani 15. J. W. Benson, Ludgate-hill, watch and clock maker by rpecial war rant of appointment to 11.11.11. the Prince of Wales. Estab lish6dl749, The Prince and Princess of Wales. The Prince of - Wales, accompanied by Prince Alfred, and attended by Lieutenant--Colonel Keppel and Lieutenant Haig, went to Gravesend Yester day to witness the saiuing match of the R o y al Thames Yacht Club. The Princess of Wales took a carriage d rive, attended by the Marchioness of Carmarthen- The Prince and Princess of Wales, accompa nied by Prince Alfred, went to the Haymarket Thea tre in the evening, attended by the Marchioness of Carmarthen, Lieutenant-Colonel Keppel, and Lieutenant Haig. Miss Westphal has had the honour of attending at Marlborough House for the purpose of taking a portrait of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Ca ul ; bridge and the Princess Mary will h onour th e niche° : Somerset with their presence at her s e c on d d anc e on 4A . the 27th instant, at the First Lord's offi c i a l res id enc e the Admiralty. His Excellency Count Kielmansegge has arrive d at Wiesbaden from Hanover. The health of the count is greatly improved. It is uncertain when he will resume duties as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of S t ' James's. In the meantime, Baron Biome will act as charg d'affaires. The V Duchess of Hamilton and Lady Ma r l Hamilton have left town for Paris, on their way to Bade n- Baden, where they are expected to arrive on Sunday n est Duke of Hamilton will join hi s m oth er a t B a den WI in the ensuing week. The Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch received 6 select party at dinner yesterday evening at their residence in Belgrave-square. The duchess had a reception af ter dinner. The Duchess of Wellington will have an assembly on the 27th inst. at Apsley House. THE LATE CHARLES GLOVER, THE COMPOSER''' . —An evening corcart will be given in the Hanov er : square Rooms on Tuesday, the 28th inst., for the ben efit of the widow and child r©n o f one o f the most popular ballad composers, the late Mr Charles Glover. Mrs C. Glover has the co-operation of the Swedish vocalist, INIsdlle• Enequist, Madame Weiss, Miss Poole, Miss Ravenscr °ft ' Madame Sainton-Dolby, Mr Cummings, Mr G. Pe rron ' Mr Patey, Mr L ew i s Th omas, t h e O rpheus Glee lini°lll Mr John F r a nc i s Barnett end Mr Henry Baumer (pianists), Mr Carrodus (violin), and Mr Apthomas (harp)' Arrival of Ironclads in the Firth of Forth. (From the Scotsman.) Three ironcased war-vessels, apparently the vanguard of the Channel Fleet, arrived in the Firth of Forth yesterdaY afternoon, and anchored in the roads to the west of Leith piers. The ships are the ironcased screw corvette wolve rine, 21 guns ; the ironcased sloop Research, of 4 guns! and the ironcased sloop Enterprise, of 4 guns. The arrival of these vessels naturally creates, in the present political crisis, more interest than in ordinary circumstances it migh t ' as they may be considered the advanced division of the Channel Fleet, the main body of which has been already moved to Spithead, nearer to the scene of its possible opera• Lions. It is true that the vessels—which are all new, end of which the two sloops are experimental ships, are said to being merely on a trip; but at a time like the present it is not difficult to fancy that they may prove to have in view a graver errand. The chief interest of this visit will natu rally attach to the ironclad sloops Enterprise and Research• They belong to a class of wooden armour-plated vessels of a now construction, designed by the present chief conotruc" tor of the navy, Mr Reed, to prove the practicability of coating with armour plates of four and a half inches wooden ships of small size. The ships are nearly similar in dimensions, burden, and equipment. The Research, which is the older vessel, is commanded by Capt. Arthur Wilrnshurst, and was launched at Pembroke in August last. She is of 1253 tons, and 200 horse power; is completely plated with four and a half inch iron up to the upper deck; and carries two 110- pounder Armstrong guns, and also two 68-pounder smooth bore guns. With her entire complement of stores and coal the Research draws somewhat less than 14ft of water. Her plating, small as she is—being little more than one-fourth the burden of the Warrior—is even more cora plate than that of the Warrior and Black Prince, which are only plated on the battery ; and in spite of the proportional excess in the weight of her armour, she is not only thoroughly seaworthy, but, as was proved in her first trip, perfectly light and easily manage a bl e , even i n a soug h sea . On the same occasion, the Research steamed at an average speed of 10f knots an hour. On Saturday, June 4, an interest ing trial of the fighting capacities of the Research took place in the Channel. Her guns were fired un der every possible change of position, and even all exactly at the same moment—a test for which no ship in the navy is designed—with the most satisfactory results, not the slightest strain or breakage of any kind being dis covered by minute inspection. The peculiarity of the con struction of the Research and Enterprise consists in the elevation of the battery above the other parts of the ship fore and aft so as to enable the guns in the battery to h e fired both ahead and astern at the acute angle of from 10 f‘' 15 degrees of the course of the vessel. Captain Wilmshu rs s t? who commands, entered the navy in 1832. He has serv e ' at sea for about 26 years in nearly all parts of the wo rld ' and has received a medal and two clasps, an d the Order the Medijdie of the fifth class. The Enterprise is a smaller vessel than the Resear c h: 6;:te is 180 feet long by 36 feet wide, of 990 t on s, and 1.6 v horse power, and also carries four large guns. 811 e ,- commanded by Commander Rowley, and was launched at Deptford in February last. Her sea-going qualities are much the same as those of the Research. At h e r trial t ri p her mean draught of water was something short of 14 feet. She is propelled by a pair of horizont a l sin g l e piton - ro d engines, fitted with suriaco condensers, tubular boilers, super-heaters, and all the latest improvements. Her machinery was supplied by Messrs Ravenhill, Sal kel i d ,' and Co. The engines are of lt2:0 - horse power (nomina l) ' but are capable or being worked up to four times that power. The screw is a two-boded Griffiths, with a diameter of lift Bin, and a pi tc h o f llift. The diame ter of the cylinders is 45in, and the lencth of stroke 1 81 n• There is an area of fire-grate surface of 9 t 3ft, and of heating surface 960 ft. There are two of Appold's ,siumps tor circu; Wing the water through the condensers, driven b y a Pal of auxiliary engines. Her speed, as ascerth hied on her,. trial trip, was a small traction under ten knos' s an Roe : which was half a knot more than the builder had aleularet: upon. Her contruetion is generally the same as that of the Research; and the fact that the battery and the chief weight of the vessel is concentrated amidships gives th.es e ships the advantage of turning with extreme facility alp very short line. The tiller is placed below the am our' plates, and thus quite secured from the danger of being: shot away; and as one of the advantages of the elevated battery—which is pierced for musketry to command the deck directly fore and alt—is that the whole crew of th e vessel can in case of need be concentrated there, arrang e " ments are made by which the ship can also be steered front within the battery, as slt those winaspi s n s ro c e w scarcely believed possible, when the Warrior 04 the Black Princ e were novelties that so small iron -clads fighting qualities, sf suche Firth confidencecould in n e btuhielitr; sea-going g e o s i p h e g r has that several iron-cased ships of nin e ' . smaller size than the Warrior, or even the Resistasees are now in course of construction. There are also irx preparation some other vessels of larger dimensions , e , 11 , 0 embodying the same peculiarities of construction. 1 " f question whether the principle of armour p l at i n g Was of necessity applicable only to ships of very large burde n, and could not be applied to the protection of the smaller classes of vessels—which aro not less essentially required in war ms has therefore received what is deemed a very satisfacto r f solution from the success of the Research and Enterprise. The Wolverine is a 21-gun screw steam corvette, an!' was launched at Woolwich about six months ago. 5110 la of 1703 tons, and 400 horse-power, and is commanded by Captain De Horsey. IN THE NOTICE OF " MR. HOLMAN 1 - 11 0 T' 8 PICTURES,'' which appeared in our impression of Ye 6 t e " day, there were tss o grammatical errors that happily , believe (to the observant reader) will at once have corrected themselves. It should be remarked, moreover, in regard I° the third picture mentioned in the notice referred to-- namely, the celebrated painting of " The Last Day in rhe Old Home"—that it, of course, is not from the easel of Mr= Holman riunt, but from that of Mr. Robert B. Martineau. Charles 1., writing from Charing-cross to our chief contemporary, says--I break the silence of a couple of centuries to inquire whether your poet Cowper intends to gild the like as he bath done these Gegrges ?